[QuarterReptile]

Maybe they'll manage to hold on long enough that Europeans/Americans will decide it's a cause worth fighting for.

Or, less high-minded, maybe the Estonians/Latvians/Lithuanians will finally be able to convince the rest of the NATO of the blindingly obvious fact that the next invasion is coming for the Baltic states (NATO) to reconnect Kaliningrad and the Baltic Sea to Russia, and the response to this invasion determines when and if that happpens.

Maybe Ukraine will convince Pacific allies of the blindingly obvious fact that China is intently watching this to see if NATO (and so, it would follow, Pacific alliances) is the house of cards that many suspect it to be.

It's all out in the open now. Russia has attacked NATO (bombed a Turkish vessel) and invaded NATO (jointly-held Snake Island); the equivocating will be seen for exactly what it is. Whether the US should be getting involved in foreign wars is a question long in the past, when we made our alliances. Now, Taiwan, Eastern Europe, and probably the world's faith in US credit (dollars) are in the balance. It's not looking good.

[mytailorisrich]

Europeans and Americans will not directly intervene by sending troops to Ukraine.

Likewise, the US will never directly attack mainland China if they decide to invade Taiwan.